ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION

The Biblical doctrine of separation is taught throughout the Holy Scriptures. In various portions it is mentioned as, a national separation, a personal separation, a judicial separation, or an ecclesiastical separation. It is not my objective to cover the whole of Biblical separation - just that which deals with the local New Testament churches and, of course, the born again believers that make up those churches.

One of the passages that treat this subject is found in II Corinthians 6:14-17:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

It is abundantly clear there that believers are to come out from unbelievers. Before you assume the extreme, let me assure you that this passage isn't speaking of a pre-existent condition of marriage, where one in that marriage gets saved afterward. The saved husband or wife is to do all they can to win the lost wife or husband to Christ for salvation. What would be relevant however is a saved person knowingly and deliberately marrying an unsaved person. Also relevant is a saved person coming out of the world and all its delusive charms to sway you to compromise and disobey the clear will of God found in His Word. Many, if not most lost people were raised on the world's philosophies. However, when we received the Lord Jesus Christ by faith for our eternal salvation, we were born from above, justified, redeemed, sanctified (or set apart to God), regenerated, pardoned, adopted, forgiven, we became a new creature in Christ, and were indwelt by the Person of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). We were equipped and empowered to live for Christ, to serve Him, to glorify and honor Him, to walk in newness of life, to walk in good works, to live a separated life to Him and from the world in all its forms, to have power over sin in our lives, and to tell others what Christ has done for us in salvation, and is now doing in and through us with the gospel message and the sound doctrines of God's Word.

The local New Testament churches are not exempt from any of the above. They too, are to be a separated organism to the Lord and from the world. Included in that is that they are to be separate from all false belief systems and people holding to those systems, whatever forms they take on. There are churches today that are in groups or associations or denominations or fellowships that they should pull out of. There are ministries today that are involved with organizations that they should get out of. Mark this passage: Romans 16:17,18:

"Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned: and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly: and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

The severely compromised and unbelieving groups have adopted a policy of infiltration. Years later, professing Christian organizations and churches, because of their lack of obedience to God's Word, have seen rampant compromise and unbelief strike within. Still, many of them hold a blind eye to the doctrine of separation, buying into the lie that they can hold out and influence the bad and evil for good and salvation. Good luck! It has never worked, the Scripture reveals just the opposite - I Cor. 15:33 says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." And if this pattern is continued, it will result in the takeover or destruction of the faith for wrong. If the workers of iniquity get their way, a one world church will result - and you'll not like the results of a one world church, because it will be comprised of only unbelievers parading around as believers.

The apostle Paul wouldn't give false brethren an hour to speak to the brethren. Several of the most popular professing evangelicals today have given the devil's boys much, much more than that, and many that haven't been personally involved have refused to expose the compromise, the compromisers, or the unbelief. They are guilty of setting the sheep up for the wolves to be devoured. The popular posturing today is equipping the churches and ultimately the people, to accept the antichrist with open arms and blindly follow whatever he speaks as an authority figure from the devil himself which will be in possession of him.

We who are saved by grace through faith in Christ are to be a separated people to our Lord and Savior. It is only disobedience and false teaching that says that none of that matters anymore. If you would conduct a personal study of the Bible yourself, you would arrive at the same conclusion. If you do a study on separation, evaluate then a ministry's doctrine and separation from the Word alone, and make the right choice that will be pleasing to God's will, not man's.

There's an old folk song that has nothing to do with this subject, but contains a line which does: ".all that stays is dying: All that lives is getting out." If you are alive in Christ Jesus because of salvation in Him as you received Him as personal Savior from sin, isn't the choice clear enough? May the Lord enable you to see the doctrine of separation in His Word and follow Him in obedience. Need help? Just write to us.